I like to keep a small precision screwdriver with all the bits the camera needs in my camera bag.
I have this one, it's very slim, good magnets, and has lots of crucial bits for cameras, light meters, computers, etc. including some hex bits that are in the size range you need.
https://www.amazon.com/ORIA-Screwdri..._t5_B07WNHD9GQ
Good to have if you need to do some minor repair/adjustment in the field.
Last edited by Ari; 30-Apr-2020 at 20:41.
5/64 and 2mm are pretty close. In fact my 5/64 driver and 2mm driver measure the exact same (2.00) with micrometer. If a 1mm is too big you might try 0.9. I got mine from MIP.
Yeah it’s definitely sub 1mm.
.05”= 1.27mm
.035” =.89mm
.028” = .71mm
Should have done these calcs before I ordered. I ordered two of the same size just one metric and one standard. Ohh well as long as just one fits I’ll be happy!
Ok so after a bit of thought I believe I’ve been asking the wrong question and assuming the answer that I’ve been getting have also been wrong. Hugo is undoubtedly correct: the grub screw is 5/64” or 2mm. This would be good information if the tiny screw went missing and you needed to replace it. Note made. BUT...I’m trying to drive said 5/64” grub in and out for adjustment and based on the charts provided that appears to be the .035”/.89mm (.9mm) Allen wrench.
I’ll confirm tomorrow when the wrenches arrive (LOVE McMaster Carr!). Thanks all for the patients, skull’s gone a bit thick lately!
My dream camera too, but it’s so damn expensive!!Originally Posted by speedfreak
Believe me each time I’m fiddling with the camera I think of getting a Sinar P or something similar. I’ve had a ton of different cameras and really like the Chamonix for what it is (light weight, sturdy, versatile), but it does leave me wanting in some circumstances. Always wanted and Arca Swiss f-line though...
While I applaud your efforts at getting your camera precisely aligned so that you don't have to worry about parallelism when setting up, I might submit that what you are endeavoring to do may be more trouble that it's worth.
Wooden cameras have some play in them, which changes around with the humidity, weather, temperature, etc., meaning that once the conditions change, all your adjustments may have been in vain.
Plus, the mere fact that the camera standards on wooden cameras are a bit "wiggly" to begin with means that you may have a heck of a time finding and keeping a parallel position. Plus, stresses introduced when using lots of rise (common in architectural work) may push the front standard out of parallel despite all your fine-tuning.
Add to all this the fact that the position of the front standard doesn't change the rendering of parallels on the film, but only the plane of sharp focus in the scene, which often needs to be adjusted in architectural work, and you may want to simply spend your time making sure the front standard is in the correct position for each shot.
I do lots of architectural work with a wooden field camera and have just learned to assume that I'll need to adjust the front standard for focus every time. I set up the camera with back parallel to what I want to keep parallel (this could be both vertical and horizontal lines or just vertical lines) and then apply whatever rise/fall and shift I need to get the composition I want. Step three is always to check focus center, top, bottom and both sides and adjust the front standard using swing/tilt to get everything I want in the same focus plane.
Often, I'll use a bit of front tilt anyway, i.e., moving the front standard away from parallel to the film plane, to get the plane of sharp focus positioned optimally in the scene. This is particularly helpful when there is some foreground in the scene.
I guess my point is that the ground glass will tell you when you've got your shot set up the way you want. You should be checking all this anyway, so making the camera adjustments at that time doesn't really take that much more time. Relying on having the camera adjusted so it sets up parallel to itself is no substitute for checking focus all around.
Hope this helps,
Doremus
I completely agree with everything you’ve pointed out, Doremus. Anything made of wood is certainly not static and the ultimate truth is only really evident on the ground glass (assuming GG and film holders are within spec.).
I’m really not one to dwell on this type of stuff at risk of missing the forest for the trees but I look at these adjustments as a the establishment of a baseline. The fact that these adjustments are available allows me to get the camera as close to parallel as possible then adjust from there.
And to conclude; the .89mm or .035” Allen wrench is the correct size for the 5/64” grub screw that allows the vertical adjustments of the rear standard on the Chamonix 45F2.
speedfreak,
I'm not trying to discourage you from adjusting your camera to make it as precise as possible. I've done that with all mine. I'm just recommending that you use the ground glass as the final arbiter and pointing out that parallel is not always the optimal configuration for architecture. And, that there may be a point where you've got things as close as practical without spending an inordinate amount of time, at which point you can simply recognize and compensate for the inherent margin of error.
Have fun,
Doremus
I have a similar problem with my Chamonix 45H-1. Only the back standard tilts very slightly back when locked into the set. Is the adjustment on the back the same with the same size hex?
Flickr Home Page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanklein2000/albums
Hugo mentioned in his email to me that he has an H1 and the screw is a 5/64”. So yes, I’d say that the .035”/.89mm Allen wrench will work.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks